Animals in the Police industry
Following on from our Police Dog Handler blog, here at Discuss we decided to bring you the best of the police force, aka other animals used in the industry! When we think of animals in the police typically the two that come to mind are dogs and horses. However, you might be surprised to discover that more animals are joining the force.
Dogs
Police dogs have been a standing member of law enforcement for many years now and are specialist in different areas. Some of the more commonly known roles are substance detectors and tracking. Usually easily identifiable from their uniform, the breeds commonly used are German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois.
However the types of dogs used in the police force are evolving. In Japan the police academy hold open enrolment within the canine division to allow any breed a chance to prove themselves to be a viable candidate. Unexpectedly a Chihuahua was recently hired as a police dog after passing a search and rescue test. For more information see CBS’s news story.
Horses
Horses are used in the police industry to help assist their riders with traffic patrol and keeping the roads clear. In many ways they are more efficient at this task than cars as they are able to go places that cars can’t. It is also said that the public find police officers on horses more approachable.
Police horses are also used to crowd control at events like football and rugby matches. The horses are trained to remain calm in noisy situations, making them an essential member of the police force.
Dolphins
With the official title of Military dolphin, these are not your average dolphins. Military dolphins specialise in search and rescue missions to find lost swimmers and detect underwater mines. The U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Programme trains not only dolphins but sea lions too for police and military usage.
Cats
Now you must be thinking, how on earth can cats be used in the police? But stay with us on this one, it’s actually cuter than you might think. No they aren’t used to sniff out bombs or locate missing people but in fact they assist with helping to calm down victims. In Japan Officer Lemon, a police cat with a uniform, is used to relax the elderly after receiving suspicious phone calls – only a good idea if you’re a fan of cats!
Birds
The most recent addition to the force are birds, more specifically eagles. Drones are becoming a more common issue meaning the police are having to come up with a solution to overcome this problem. As such they are currently training eagles to intercept drones and consequently take them down as they would consider them to be prey. The use of eagles is currently being trialled in the Netherlands but is a concept currently dismissed in the UK.
Another bird which has been used, however unintentionally this time, are pigeons. In 2015, the police uncovered a cannabis farm close to a Liverpool station, due to a large amount of pigeons keeping warm on the roof of a cannabis farm. Who knew those poop machines could be so useful?
Does a career in the police industry interest you? Why not take a look at one of our Policing courses at CU Coventry, CU Scarborough and CU London.